47: Richard – Welfare Child, Runaway Druggie, Amway Missionary, Apostate Divorcee

wow. this was an entertaining story told well. he sounds like a cool guy. sorry about the break up though

I was homeschooled from third grade (dropped out after second) until I entered college (a state university: I matriculated right before I turned 18). I think that school is a waste of time academically, still. I had the good luck to be enrolled in karate classes too, at a very good dojo where I learned how to socialize and engage in prosocial violence (nobody ever beat me up as a kid: it helped that I didn’t go to high school, but I did get in some fights, some of them at church, not at my instigation, and my karate skills worked–in terms of avoidance and engagement). Today, it seems to me that what kids really need is not education (which in its most regimented forms is often toxic to good thinking and work habits), but access to information and examples from interested and capable adults and older mentors.

School will atrophy the mind, and the social skills it teaches are (in my opinion) inferior to those you develop elsewhere (in church, at dojos, in gyms, in garages, in cafes, and in other places where you find people of many different ages engaged in productive cultural activity).

Sex education is important, too. People need to be honest and frank with their kids. I think my parents did a better job than Richard’s (with most of my sexual problems as a kid deriving from the LDS church, rather than directly from parental involvement: they only ever gave me good advice; I made the mistake of taking the bishop’s horrible advice more seriously).

Richard–I remember you posting on my episode about wondering about divorce and I am equal part sad and happy for you that you are getting divorced. It is a sad situation, but I believe that sometimes it is the best situation despite being sad. Also wanted to let you know, in reference to your post on my episode, that I got “The God Delusion” for Christmas. I am very excited to start reading it!